Detection of molecular absorption bands of C2 and CN in Nova Cas 2020 (= TCP J00114297+6611190)
ATel #13941; M. Fujii (Fujii-Kurosaki Observatory), A. Arai and H. Kawakita (Kyoto Sangyo University)
on 13 Aug 2020; 05:59 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Novae
Credential Certification: Akira Arai (arai6a@cc.kyoto-su.ac.jp)
We report our optical low-resolution spectroscopic observations of Nova Cas 2020.
Our observation was performed on UT 12.706 Aug. 2020 with a low resolution (R ∼ 500) spectrograph mounted on the 40-cm (F/10) telescope at the Fujii-Kurosaki Observatory, Okayama, Japan.
Our spectrum shows the H I Balmer (H-alpha and H-beta) and Fe II emission lines, and O I (777.4 nm) absorption line, as usual for a move near its maximum. We also found the molecular absorption bands of C2 and CN. The C2 Swan band sequence (Δv = -1, 0, +1) and the CN red system band sequence (Δv = +5, +4) features are recognized. These molecular features were not obvious in our previous spectra taken on UT 10.692 Aug. 2020. As seen in the novae DQ Her and V2676 Oph (other examples for CN and C2 formation during near visual brightness maximum of the novae), these molecular band features may disappear within about one week (Kawakita & Arai 2017, as a review).
Our spectra are available (only image files) at the web page of the Fujii-Kurosaki observatory.
Nova Cas 2020 (Fujii-Kurosaki Observatory)
